BEEM studies of the PtSi/Si(100) interface electronic structure

The aim of the present work is a comparative study by ballistic electron emission microscopy (BEEM) of PtSi/n-Si(100) interface electronic structures using the assumption of an energy-dependent transmission coefficient or an energy-independent transmission coefficient and the possible explanation of the standard deviation of the barrier height from the most probable barrier height. PtSi/n-Si(100) interfaces have been studied for PtSi layers with an average estimated thickness of 2–3 nm. Locally measured barrier heights show distributions with the most probable values of barrier heights between 0.734 eV and 0.829 eV and with standard deviations from these most probable values of barrier heights in the range 0.010–0.066 eV. The assumption of an energy-independent coefficient for transmission of electrons through the interface is more preferable since the treatment of experimental results using a square-law leads to a most probable value of the barrier height in accordance to other measurements. The standard deviations of barrier heights from the most probable barrier heights may be explained by the heterogeneity of the PtSi layer thickness. The experimental results show lower barrier height for a higher PtSi layer thickness. The decreasing barrier height is accompanied by an increasing amount of Pt interstitial atoms.     

Formation of the Co/Si(110) interface: Phase composition and magnetic properties

The formation of the Co/Si(110)16 × 2 interface and its magnetic properties are studied by high-energy-resolution photoelectron spectroscopy using synchrotron radiation and magnetic linear dichroism in the photoemission of core electrons. It is shown that a cobalt coating less than 7 Å thick deposited on the silicon surface at room temperature results in the formation of an ultrathin (1.7 Å) interfacial cobalt silicide layer and a layer of silicon-cobalt solid solution. The ferromagnetic ordering of the interface is observed at an evaporation dose corresponding to 6–7 Å in which case a cobalt metal film begins to grow on the solid solution layer. During 300°C-annealing of the sample covered by a nanometer-thick cobalt layer, the metal film gradually disappears and four silicide phases arise: metastable ferromagnetic silicide Co₃Si and three stable nonmagnetic silicides (Co₂Si, CoSi, and CoSi₂).     

MeV Au ion induced modifications at Co/Si interface

We report on room temperature MeV Au ion induced modifications at the Co/Si interfaces. Nanometers size thin film of Co and Si were grown by ultra high vacuum (UHV) electron beam evaporation technique on Si(1 1 1) surface and were irradiated by 1.5 MeV Au²⁺ ions at a fluence of 5 × 10¹⁴ ions cm⁻². High-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) along with energy filter imaging technique has been employed to study the formation of Co-Si alloy at the interface. Formation of such surface alloy has been discussed in the light of ion-matter interaction in nanometer scale regime.     

Atomic structure of a (2 x 1) reconstructed NiSi2/Si(001) interface

Nickel disilicide/silicon (001) interfaces were investigated by aberration corrected scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM). The atomic structure was derived directly from the high spatial resolution high angle annular dark field STEM images without recourse to image simulation. It comprises fivefold coordinated silicon and sevenfold coordinated nickel sites at the interface and shows a 2 x 1 reconstruction. The proposed structure has not been experimentally observed before but has been recently predicted theoretically by others to be energetically favored.     

Influences of the interfacial state between Co and a Si substrate on the magnetic properties of Co/Si(1 1 1) films

Morphology and magnetic properties of Co/Si(1 1 1) interfaces have been investigated using scanning tunneling microscope and surface magneto-optic Kerr effect techniques. As deposited at room temperature for Co/Si(1 1 1), defects have been observed with shapes of dark patches and bright islands on the surface with different Co coverage. The defect formation causes a rough interface. For subsequently deposited Co layers, the interfacial state between Co and the Si substrate results in the appearance of both the longitudinal and polar Kerr loops. After annealing treatments, interdiffusion of Co atoms and Si(1 1 1) substrate occurs as revealed by Auger electron spectroscopy. Scanning tunneling microscope images show the formation of Si clusters with average diameter of 10 nm at high temperatures. The disappearance of ferromagnetism of the films occurs due to the structural and compositional changes.     

(100) and (110) SiSiO2 interface studies by MeV ion backscattering

Thin oxide layers on (110) and (100) Si have been studied by ion scattering experiments in a channeling grazing exit angle geometry. Oxides are found to be stoichiometric SiO₂ to within 10 Å of the (100) substrate surface, and 7 Å of the (110). The transition interface region between single crystal Si and the SiO₂ layer is abrupt and is characterized by approximately one to two monolayers of Si which is out of registration with the substrate lattice for the (110) case. The possibility of a layer of O-deficient oxide is also explored.     

Influence of magnetic field on the interlayer interaction in (Co/Si/Gd/Si)n films

A singularity sensitive to the external magnetic field was observed in the temperature dependences of the magnetization of multilayer (Co/Si/Gd/Si)₂₀ films in the vicinity of compensation temperature. Possible mechanisms responsible for the unusual behavior of the magnetization are discussed.     

Band bending at the Ni/Si(100)-2×1 submonolayer interface

Band bending at the Ni/Si(100)-2×1 interface has been monitored by using Si 2p core level photoemission spectra. Two nickel-induced Si 2p components appear in the initial interaction between Ni and Si(100)-2×1, which is confined at the top surface and the first subsurface layers. At Ni coverage less than 0.0375 ML, Ni atoms prefer the adamantane interstitial sites on the first subsurface, but switch to the pedestal sites on Si dimer rows at higher Ni coverage. The change in the preferred occupation sites of Ni atoms on the Si(100)-2×1 surface strongly affects the amount of band bending shift. The shift towards higher binding energy, when Ni atoms occupy the adamantane interstitial sites, is attributed to metal-induced-gap states. While Ni atoms occupy the pedestal sites, the band bending shift is reduced which is attributed to the passivation of surface states.     

Probing the buried metal-semiconductor interface by optical second harmonic generation: Au on Si(1 1 1) and Si(1 0 0)

We show that optical second harmonic generation offers a unique method of probing the structure of the buried metal-semiconductor interface. Comparison of Si(1 1 1)-Au and Si(1 0 0)-Au, together with LEED studies, unambiguously identifies the interface as the source of the second harmonic signal, which persists through at least 30 Å of gold.     

Magnetic and magnetoresistive properties of epitaxial Co/Cu/Co trilayers on Si(111)

Giant magnetoresistance of the epitaxial Co/Cu/Co trilayers grown on vicinal Si(111) was determined as a function of Cu spacer coverage in the range from 0 to 7 ML. The first maximum of giant magnetoresistance and antiferromagnetic coupling was detected at 3.0 ML coverage of the Cu spacer. The portion of antiferromagnetic coupling in the first antiferromagnetic maximum was estimated as 17%. 3D growth mode of the Cu spacer leads to the simultaneous occurrence of the ferromagnetically and antiferromagnetically coupled areas between the Co layers.